Civicslog

A federal judge ruled that two Democratic board members fired in January from their jobs with the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board were removed illegally, and must be returned to their positions. The board is charged with protecting Americans' privacy and civil rights from government counter-terrorism efforts. It was formed based on the recommendation of the commission that investigated the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The order directs federal agencies to enforce the "Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Networks Act", or the “TAKE IT DOWN” Act. This law introduces criminal penalties for intentional disclosure of nonconsensual intimate visual depictions and mandates covered platforms to remove such content.

Waited to include this one in the list until it became official because surely it couldn't possibly become official, could it? It has and the Defense Department will get to work renovating the 'luxury' gift jet so that it can be flown as Air Force One.

The Food and Drug Adminstration said Tuesday that it will limit Covid-19 vaccinations to people 65 and older. People at high risk seriously illness if they become infected will also be allowed Covid shots. The FDA will also require manufacturers to conduct clinical trials to show whether the vaccines benefit healthy younger adults and children.

The Justice Department charged New Jersey Congresswoman LaMonica McIver with assaulting federal agents during a May 9th fracas outside a New Jersey immigrant detention center. Newark mayor Ras Baraka's trespassing charge from the same clash was dropped. The charges were announced by interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba, one of president's Trump defense attorneys.

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that the Trump II administration may cancel temporary protection from deportation status for as many as 350,000 Venezuelans in the country. The Biden administration had created the status for the immigrants, and extended it near the end of Biden's term, because officials determined that conditions in Venezuela were unsafe and too risky to deport the migrants back home.

The proclamation designates the third Saturday of each May as Armed Forces Day. It invites Governors of the States, Territories, and other areas under U.S. jurisdiction to organize observances of Armed Forces Day to increase public understanding and appreciation of the military. The proclamation also encourages all Americans to display the U.S. flag at their homes and businesses on this day and to participate in local observances. This proclamation supersedes Proclamation 10762 of May 17, 2024.

The proclamation designates May 2025 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, in recognition of the contributions of these communities to the United States. It encourages all Americans to learn more about those of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander heritage and to observe this month with appropriate programs and activities. The Congress, by Public Law 102-450, as amended, has also designated the month of May each year as "Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month."

The proclamation designates May 2025 as Jewish American Heritage Month. It calls on Americans to celebrate the heritage and contributions of American Jews and to observe this month with appropriate programs, activities, and ceremonies. It also emphasizes the administration's commitment to confronting anti-Semitism in all its forms, using every appropriate legal tool to stop anti-Semitic assaults, particularly on university campuses.

Hundreds of medical researchers at Harvard learned by email this week that their federal grants had been rescinded. The government has said it would pull $2.7 billion in federal funding from Harvard researchers. The university has sued the administration to reverse the cuts.

This week a federal judge ordered that criminal trespassing charges be dropped on dozens of migrants caught along the border in New Mexico. The Trump II administration had declared a 60 foot strip of land along the border a military zone and that anyone caight there would be charged with trespassing on military property. The judge dismissed the charges because the migrants would have to know they were entering a restricted area beforehand, which prosecutors were unable to demonstrate.

This week the Trump administration fired hundreds of workers at broadcaster Voice of America. Contractors, mostly journalists, made up the bulk of the nearly 600 removals. The administration also put up for sale the building that houses the organization in Washington.

A federal judge ordered the Trumpo II administration to reinstate nearly 200 workers who screen coal miners for black lung disease. The judge said the administration lacked the authority to shutter the Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program, which was created in 1969 under the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act. The workers were back on the job a day after the ruling.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard fired two officials from the National Intelligence Council amid what Gabbard's office has called an effort to correct the 'weaponization' of intelligence agencies. The fired staffers had earlier made public intelligence findings that contradicted the White House's assertion that the Venezuelan government was directing the actions of Tren de Aragua, the criminal gang the administration has targetted for deportation using the Alien Enemies Act.

The Food and Drug Administration said this week it would start the process of removing children's prescription fluoride drops and tablets from the market. FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said he's instructed agency scientists to evaluate the evidence that fluoride is harmful. Dentists adamantly disagree that fluoride in recommended dosages is harmful.

Imports from China below $800 will be subject to a 54% tariff or a flat fee of $100. The so-called 'de minimis' tariff rate had been fixed at 120%. The administration also announced that it had scrapped plans to hike the flat-fee rate to $200 on June first.

The Trump Org has entered real estate deals in all three countries the presidnet is set to visit this week. Meanwhile Elon Musk, OpenAi's Sam Altman, and other U.S. business leaders are along for the ride, looking to score mega deals of their own.

The order directs federal agencies to implement most-favored-nation prescription drug pricing for American consumers. The Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative are instructed to prevent foreign countries from engaging in practices that force American patients to subsidize global pharmaceutical research and development. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is tasked to facilitate programs for direct-to-consumer sales at the most-favored-nation price and to set price targets in line with those in comparably developed nations. If significant progress is not made, the Secretary is authorized to propose rulemaking to impose most-favored-nation pricing and consider allowing importation of prescription drugs from developed nations with low-cost prescription drugs.

The order directs federal agencies to modify reciprocal tariff rates with the People's Republic of China (PRC). This change is in response to discussions between the two nations aimed at addressing trade reciprocity and security concerns. The order suspends for 90 days the additional ad valorem duties previously imposed on the PRC, replacing them with a 10 percent ad valorem rate of duty on all articles imported from the PRC, including Hong Kong and Macau, effective from 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on May 14, 2025.

The proclamation designates May 15, 2025, as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week of May 11-17, 2025, as Police Week. It calls for the honoring of law enforcement officers and remembers those who have lost their lives in the line of duty. The proclamation also requests Congress to codify an Executive Order mandating the death penalty for the murder of a police officer and to pass a crime bill with enhanced protections for police officers. Furthermore, it urges officials to direct that the flag be flown at half-staff on Peace Officers Memorial Day.

Deputy attorney general and former Trump defense attorney Todd Blanche gets a new job title: acting Librarian of Congress. Blanche, who has no experience as a librarian or archivist, replaces Carla Hayden, who Trump (wrongly) fired last week.

US and Chinese trade officials meeting in Switzerland over the weekend agreed to reduce trade tariffs from 145% (US) and 125% (China) to 30% and 10%, respectively. The reductions will be in place for 90 days while the two erstwhile trade partners continue to negotiate.

Early Friday the acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed a notification with the Federal Register stating that the agency would not enforce 67 "guidance" documents while they were undergoing review. The documents include policy statements, interpretive rules, advisory opinions, and other guidance that stretch back to the bureau's founding in 2011.

The Federal Trade Commission said it would delay enforcement of its 'click-to-cancel' rule from May 14 to July 14. The rule, if it is adopted, will require companies to make canceling a service or subscription as simple and easy as signing up for it. The FTC board voted 3-0 for this delay; two of the board members were absent from the vote, as they were previously illegally fired by the president.

President Trump fired Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter, according to press reports. Earlier this week the president fired her boss, the Librarian of Congress (see notice below). Perlmutter's removal comes after her office had published the third part of a lengthy report that raised concerns about the usage of copyrighted materials by AI.

A directive from the White House instructs agencies to stop considering the social cost of carbon when weighing the costs and benefits of a particular policy. The Biden administration used it to tighten emissions from cars, power plants, factories, and oil refineries. It has been in use for two decades.

The order directs federal agencies to establish Project Homecoming, which aims to encourage undocumented immigrants to voluntarily leave the United States with financial assistance from the Federal Government. The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security are instructed to create processes, including the use of technology like the "CBP Home" application, to facilitate the rapid departure of the undocumented. The order also includes the provision of financial incentives or "exit bonuses" for each alien who voluntarily departs. It also mandates a communications campaign to inform aliens about these options and the consequences of choosing to stay without documentation.

The order directs federal agencies to reduce the regulatory burden on American citizens by discouraging criminal enforcement of regulatory offenses. It emphasizes that prosecution should be reserved for those who knowingly violate regulations, causing or risking public harm. Agencies are encouraged to consider civil or administrative enforcement for strict liability regulatory offenses. Furthermore, agencies are required to provide a report detailing all criminal regulatory offenses enforceable by the agency or the Department of Justice, including potential penalties and applicable mental state standards for these offenses, within 365 days.

The order directs the Archivist of the United States, through the Office of the Federal Register, to collaborate with the Director of the Government Publishing Office to reduce publication delays and modernize systems. The Archivist is also required to review and adjust the fee schedules for publication in the Federal Register, ensuring that fees reflect the actual costs of publication. The order specifies that agencies are currently charged between $151-$174 per column of text to publish each rule in the Federal Register.

The order directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a National Center for Warrior Independence on the West Los Angeles VA Campus to provide care, benefits, and services to homeless veterans. It also instructs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to coordinate with other departments to redirect funds intended for other services towards this center. Additionally, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is instructed to use vouchers to support homeless veterans. The order also calls for increased accountability and service excellence within the Department of Veterans Affairs. The goal is to restore the capacity to house up to 6,000 homeless veterans at the National Center for Warrior Independence by January 1, 2028.